St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-10-24
ence over his gifted sons. But the
mother was their inspiration and de-

ence over his gifted sons. But the
mother was their inspiration and de-
light.
The childhood of Dickens was so
shadowed by poverty, and his sensitive
and imaginative mind was so keenly
alive to his position, that it is hardly
possible that he could draw an abSo-
lutely impartial picture of his parents.
His mother had keen appreciation of
wise considerable dramatic talent. She
was comedy little woman, with hand
some. bright eyes, and genial, agree
abba person. From her Dickens I'M
doubtedly inherited his tempera-
ment and intellectual gifts. She pos
sessed an extraordinary sense of the lu-
dicrous, and her power of imitation was
something astonishing. Her perception
was quick and she uncOnsciOusly noted
everything that came under her Obser-
walton. In describing ridiculous Oc-
currences, her tone and gesture would
be inimitable, while her manner was of
the quaintest. Dickens declares that to
her he owed his first desire for knowl-
edge, and that his earliest passion for
reading was awakened by his mother,
who taught him not only the first rudi-
ments of English, but also little of
Latin. Poverty saddened and darkened
great many years of her life, and her
children were early compelled to leave
her and earn their own living, but they
all hOnOred and loved her as she de-
served.
Leigh Hunt thus writes of his mother:
'My mother had no accomplishments
but the two best of ala love of nature
and of books. DIR. Franklin offered to
teach her the guitar; but she was too
bashful to become his pupil. She re-
GREETED this afterward, partly no doubt,
for having so illuStriOuS master Her
first child, who died, was named after
him | know not whether the anecdOte
is new, but ! have heard that
when DR.. Franklin invented the har-
monica, he concealed it from his wife
till the instrument was fit to play, and
then woke her with it one night, when
she took it for the music of angels. 80.
Having been born nine years later than
the youngest of my brothers, have no
recollection of my mothers earlier as
pect. Her eyes were always fine and
her person ladylike: her hair also re-
tanned its color for a long period; but
her brown complexion had been eX-
changed for a jaundiced one, which she
retained through life: her cheeks were
sunlen and her mouth drawn down
with sorrow at the corners. She re-
tanned the energy of her character on
great occasions, but her spirit in ordi-
nary affairs was weakened, and she
looked at the hustle and discord of the
present state of society with fright
ened aversion. Never shall forget her
face, as it used to appear to me coming
up the ,cloisters, with that weary hang
OF the head on one side and that melan-
chOly smilei
One holiday in severe winter, as she
was taking me home, she was petitioned
for charity by woman sick and ILL
clothed. 1t was in Blackfriars road, |
think about midway. My mother, with
tears i'll her eyes, turned up a gateway
OF some other place, and, beckoning the
woman to follow, took Off her flannel
petticoat and gave it to her. 1t is sup
posed that cold which ensued fixed the
rheumatism upon her for life. Actions
like this have doubtless been often per-
formed and do not of necessity imply
any great virtue in the performer, but
they do, if they are at peace with the
rest of the character. Saints have been
made for charities no greater.''